These protections are designed to prevent issues that arose during the pandemic from repeating themselves. In 2020, many passengers whose flights were canceled due to travel restrictions struggled to get a cash refund from their airline. Airlines were later collectively fined $7.5 million by the DOT for delaying the refunds and forced to issue $600 million back to customers.
However, the new protections for sick travelers apply even if the US government has not declared a public health emergency, as long as a licensed treating medical professional has advised you not to travel because you have contracted (or likely to have contracted) “a serious communicable disease and would pose a direct threat to the health of others,” per the final rule.
What if an airline won’t refund you?
Even though all the rules above have been clearly communicated to airlines, that doesn’t mean they will always be perfectly followed. In fact, airlines are regularly fined by the DOT for violating various federal rules, so travelers should be ready to advocate for themselves when these situations arise.
Airlines must issue notifications to fliers who are affected by delays and cancellations that state their right to a refund of their ticket price and extra service fees. However, one hurdle that passengers could run into is the airline trying to persuade you to take another form of compensation, like a voucher. “Be aware that even if the airlines may offer you a voucher or air miles, you are entitled to your money back,” says Eric Napoli, chief legal officer at AirHelp, which assists passengers with airline refunds and compensation, tells Condé Nast Traveler. “Always request cash compensation. We recommend passengers avoid accepting vouchers unless they are satisfied they are getting a fair deal.”
In most situations, airlines offer flight vouchers that are equal to the unused portion of your airfare, so the better deal is usually to opt for the cash refund. “If they decide not to take the flight, they don’t have to settle for a mere voucher that can go towards a future flight on the same airline but can get their money back,” Napoli says.
Be sure to document everything, too, as certain information could come in handy later. “Even when passenger protections are in place, it’s still important to gather evidence to support your claim for a refund or compensation depending on the circumstance,” Napoli says. “Keep hold of any SMS messages, emails, or notifications sent by the airline. Hold on to your boarding pass and any boarding passes for alternative flights. Take photos of any flyers or flight information boards showing your itinerary charge or disruption. Make a note of the time you arrive at your final destination. Keep receipts of everything you had to buy. Request that the airline tells you the cause of the disruption.” All of this evidence will be helpful if you need to follow up with the airline’s customer service department or file a complaint with the DOT.
Another challenging issue that fliers might face with the new rules? Receiving refunds for any onboard services they paid for ahead of time but didn’t get to use due to the delay or cancellation. Although airlines must refund these payments, it’s a bit more of a gray area than the cost of the unused ticket, which is usually clear to customer service agents. “If passengers have paid for additional services that were not provided during their flight, they should contact the airline directly to request a refund for those specific services,” Napoli says. Again, it’s beneficial to be ready with receipts that can help you politely—but persistently—spell out the total cost of your delay or cancellation, extra fees included.
If travelers believe their airline is not following the new refund rules, they should file a consumer complaint with the DOT. These complaints help the DOT hold airlines accountable with fines and other punishments, so they do amount to more than just screaming into the void—although depending on the severity of your flight delay, that could be cathartic, too.
